Conference coming to Hawaii sparks worldwide coverage

Peter Ho

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) will be a gathering of world leaders in Honolulu next year. It will be one of Hawaii's most important conventions ever held. A new committee has been created to help with the organizational preparations.

It's led by Bank of Hawaii president Peter Ho. The group will help to coordinate business and tourism opportunities and recruit volunteers. The non-profit organization wants to make sure Honolulu shows lots of aloha to the twenty-thousand visitors and dignitaries expected.

The conference will also draw about two-thousand media members. Local leaders want to ensure Hawaii will capitalize on the extensive and high-profile coverage. "This is a great opportunity for the community and for the state to gain exposure to markets that perhaps we've not had much exposure to in the past, and one of the responsibilities of the host committee is to help foster that opportunity." said Peter Ho.

In preparation for the massive undertaking, Honolulu will host Singapore Head of State, Kay Chuan Tan next week. Mr. Tan headed the organizational committee in Singapore for the two-thousand-nine APEC conference.

The November two-thousand-eleven APEC meeting is scheduled to be hosted by president Barack Obama.